Yellow-vented woodpecker

The yellow-vented woodpecker (Veniliornis dignus) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Yellow-vented woodpecker
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Genus: Veniliornis
Species:
V. dignus
Binomial name
Veniliornis dignus
(Sclater & Salvin, 1877)
Synonyms
  • Dryobates dignus

Description

The yellow-vented woodpecker is between 15 and 18 cm (6 and 7 in) in length. The male has a red crown, nape and mantle, with black streaking, while the female has a blackish crown, and a red nape and mantle. The sexes are otherwise similar in appearance, with olive-green upper parts with bronze overtones, a dark tail, and yellowish underparts, finely barred with black, grey or olive; the vent area and under-tail coverts are plain yellow. The face is grey, with white bars above and below the eye. The iris is reddish and the beak and legs are grey.[2]

Distribution and habitat

The yellow-vented woodpecker is native to northwestern South America. Its range extends from upland Venezuela, through the eastern, central and western ranges of the Andes in Colombia to Ecuador and Peru. It is an upland species, its altitudinal range being from 1,000 to 2,700 m (3,300 to 8,900 ft), but it is seldom seen below 1,700 m (5,600 ft).[2]

Ecology

This woodpecker is usually seen singly or in pairs, or occasionally in small groups of mixed species. It forages for invertebrates in the twigs and outer branches in the middle and upper parts of the canopy. Its breeding habits are poorly known but it is believed to nest between March and August.[3]

Status

The yellow-vented woodpecker is described as an uncommon species. Its population size has not been quantified but its population seems stable and it has a very large range, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Veniliornis dignus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22681187A92896166. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22681187A92896166.en.
  2. Gorman, Gerard (2014). Woodpeckers of the World: A Photographic Guide. Firefly Books. pp. 296–297. ISBN 177085309X.
  3. Winkler, H.; Christie, D.A. "Yellow-vented Woodpecker (Veniliornis dignus)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
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